NO BIDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 130, 6 June 1927, Page 10

NO BIDS

FOR CITY LEASEHOLD

CONDITIONS CRRITICISED

No bids were forthcoming for the five-year lease of a city-owned property, 43, Willis street, when it was offered at public auction in the Concert Chamber, JTbwn Hall, to-day. The attendance was not large, and it was apparent from remarks made by the dozen or so business mnn present that "there would be nothing doing," objection being taken to th 3 very substantial figure set as the upset rental ana to the five-year condition. Before the gathering dispersed the general feeling was expressed by Mr. R. M. Nimmo, who said that those present wished to protest against the imposition of the unfair and unreasonable conditions set out by the council. To j-limit the lease to five years, without right of renewal, was certainly not conducive to the improvement of city proporty, for obviously a tenant would not feel inclined to pay a heavy rental with rates over and above that, and' to spend money on improvements, knowing chat at the end of five years the •lease would'be offered again 'at public auction. It was impossible to carry a business forward without security of tenure, and if private business was conducted on the lines laid down by the City Council in respect of the lease in question the city's affairs would soon be topsy-turvy. A more reasonable thing to do, if the council insisted upon short term rentals, would -be to extend the period of the lease to, say, ten years, but to revalue tho Jease at intervals of perhaps two years, the rental being arrived at by agreement or by arbitration. On Mr. Nimmo's motion, the meeting resolved as ,citizens to record its disapproval, of the unfair and unreasonable conditions imposed by the council, taking into consideration the condition of the premises and the term of five years only without right of renewal. It was further resolved that the council should be asked to review the whole position in regard to city leases